Archive for June, 2018

Stumbling over this post by Tomboktu on the Cedar Lounge site prompted us to dig out ‘Dollar For Your Dreams‘ a cassette release of the 1987 reunion of The Radiators on Comet Records. Apparently this show was the first public performance of ‘Under Clery’s Clock’. Thanks to Rob Fortune for the cassette recording, to Joe Mooney for the poster and to Irish Rock for the tape inlay. Check out Bill Graham’s Hot Press review here. Pete Holidai produced many Fanning sessions and is currently working through the Philip Chevron archive with a view to restoring for release (get in touch with Pete for more details). The Trouble Pilgrims play the Stoneybatter festival at The Glimmerman this Sunday at 7pm (free).

A recent query on twitter sent us off on a hunt through the tapes for a band from Cork called Mahogany Men. We found one additional track on a Fanning tape and thought you might like to hear. The band were Myles Horgan (lead vocals/guitar), Cormac Curtis (guitar), Danny McElhinney (bass) and David Tinsley (drums). If anyone has a better photo or further details on the recording we’d love to hear from you.

David Long the former frontman of much loved outfit Into Paradise has just released his third solo album ‘The Cult Of Two. Inspired by Roque of Cloudberry Records we decided to pose David a few questions and he was kind enough to respond. ‘The Cult Of Two’ is out now on iTunes and Spotify.

Where/when was the album recorded?

The album was recorded in North Kerry over a 3 month period from February to April of this year. It started with a postcard of a painting called Klein Blue by the French artist Yves Klein that was on my fridge. I started writing small piano pieces to go with the painting.

Is there anyone else on the album?

Shane O’Neill is on “The road ahead”. It was originally called “Between the earth and the sky”. I got that title from a book I was reading about North Korea, But decided to use the title “the road ahead” in the end. I had the shell of the song and sent it to Shane and 3 days later he sent his version back to me and I just loved it.

Who did the artwork?

My wife Aisling did the artwork for this album. It’s a photograph she took in Limerick. I just thought it fitted perfectly for the album title and music.

Any CD or vinyl release planned?

I hate CD’s. Nothing to do with the sound quality. Just the way they look. I love vinyl. But I’m not a vinyl snob. I listen to my vinyl on a €40 portable player in the kitchen and I love it. At some stage I will release my 3 solo albums on vinyl. And when I do I will just make 100 copies of each.

What are you working on next / any longer term plans?

I write most days, It’s what I do. So I don’t plan anything. After a while things just fall into place and you realise you have an album finished.

Do you have a project with Shane O’Neill (Blue in Heaven)?

Not really. Myself and Shane go back a long way. We were in a band called “Amuse” in the early eighties. A while back he sent me a piece of music and I put vocals on it and it became “Albert the painter”. I love that track. I was reading Herman Hesse’s short stories and one of the stories was called “The Painter” and that’s where I got the idea for the Albert song.

He’s painting his visions on cardboard left in empty houses… That’s me, Ha!

Any plans to tour? 🙂

No plans to tour. Maybe someday. When I’m sixty nine I’ll get helped up on the stage in my local pub in Kerry and make some noise.

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In the absence of an official RTE Fanning Session archive consider this blog a humble starting point. Any musical submissions would be gratefully accepted as are any corrections or recollections... click on the pic to send an email or even better comment on the post in question. We are interested in anything recorded from irish radio or TV in the 1980s and 90s.